Musicians: Boycotting Israel Fans the Flames of Conflict

Steve Schnur and David Renzer

Brian Eno is just the latest BDS activist using untruths and misinformation to prey on musicians and artists’ natural affinity for those perceived as victimized.

On November 17th, Vice published a piece by Brian Eno and Ohal Grietzer calling for musicians to boycott Israel “until Palestinians are free.” The piece is the latest attempt by the boycott divestment sanctions movement, also known as BDS, to gain legitimacy by preying on musicians’/artists’ natural affinity for those perceived as victimized, and appealing to a call for “human rights” for the Palestinians.

While we have sympathy for all of those that are downtrodden, unfortunately, these musicians and artists have fallen prey to a narrative that is filled with untruths and distortions and that has its basis in the BDS movement’s lack of support of ‘two states for two peoples.’ Indeed, the boycott movement’s founder and other central BDS leaders have said “they oppose a Jewish State in any of part of Palestine,” and their definition of Palestine includes all of Israel.

Let’s address some of the familiar accusations and examine why they don’t hold water.

The first accusation is that Israel is an “apartheid” state. Anyone who has been to Israel knows that it is a western style democracy (indeed the only one in the region) and by definition cannot be considered “apartheid.” Arabs make up approximately 20 percent of the citizens living within Israel and have always had the right to vote, and the right to a free press. Further, Arab Israelis serve in Israel’s parliament (the Knesset) and serve in Israel’s court system. Indeed one of the judges who convicted former Israeli President Katsav was George Karra, an Arab Israeli.

Just as America grapples with Ferguson and charges of racial discrimination, there may be instances of injustice to Arabs that occur in Israel. However to try to brand Israel as an “apartheid” state is simply untrue and libelous. It is also important to note that Arabs living in the West Bank are governed by the Palestinian Authority, while Arabs living in Gaza are governed by Hamas.

Further inflammatory language used by Eno includes charges that the Palestinians are the areas only “indigenous people” and have been “ethnically cleansed.”  It doesn’t require much study of history to know the Jews have a long history of living in Israel, including having Jewish populations not just in Jerusalem, but in many cities claimed by the Palestinians (Hebron, Jaffa, and others). The term “ethnically cleansed” is patently false and inflammatory.

Perhaps most troubling is the timing of this piece and of the call for boycotting Israel when terrorism is striking at western democracies around the world.

Why is it acceptable to only blame one side in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and fail to question why Palestinians have rejected various peace offers dating from 1948 to the more recent offer of former Prime Minister Olmert? Why is it acceptable for Palestinians and their leadership to take no responsibility for inciting terrorist attacks? Why are they not holding their own governments responsible for lack of elections, and supporting a government in Gaza whose charter calls for the destruction of the State of Israel?  This gives a “free pass” to behavior that those who support democratic values should question.

We believe that music and the arts can indeed build bridges and should not be used as a political weapon if conditions don’t justify. That’s why artists, including Alicia Keyes, Jon Bon Jovi, the Rolling Stones, Rihanna, Enrique Iglesias, Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, and many others continue to perform in Israel for audiences that can include Israeli Arabs, Christians, Muslims and Jews. Over 30,000 people have signed Creative Community for Peace’s Anti-Boycott Petition.

While we lament the loss of all innocent life, when artists function as a bullhorn for spreading untruths and misinformation they only fan the flames of conflict rather than seek to use the power of music and culture to unite.

 

David Renzer is chairman of the Spirit Music Group. Steve Schnur is the Worldwide Executive and President of Electronic Arts Music Group. Both are co-founders of the Creative Community for Peace.

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.688568

 

“I won’t risk my life in order to perform in Israel.”

Ami Fridman. Published 18.11.15, YNET

The producer of “Titans of Metal,” a festival in Israel with artists scheduled from all over the world, is revealing a scary method that is being used by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS).

“The artists are approaching me scared for their lives. They are receiving threatening emails, specifically telling them not to perform in Israel.” When the producer of the event turned to the Cultural Minister of Israel, Miri Regev, he discovered that he wasn’t the only one who is struggling with this issue.

He was told that every promoter in Israel that is planning to bring an artist is already anticipating a flood of calls to the artist from pro-Palestinian organizations persuading them to cancel. The high-profile artists receive a personal letter from Roger Waters, who asks them to reconsider the performance and join the cultural boycott. These letters by the ex-Pink Floyd are eventually made public.

However, methods used to deter artists are also happening behind the scenes. Which is the case with the “Titans of Metal,” a music festival scheduled for Israel mid-December, with big named metal artists from all over the world. The festival is being promoted by Patrick Levinsky.

“To all the participants of  “Titans of Metal,” We are people from all around the world, asking participants of the Titans of Metal Festival to reconsider their concert in apartheid Israel, until Israel complies with international law and respects the rights of the indigenous Palestinian people.” This was written in an open letter on the BDS organization site with a petition telling the participants of Titans of Metal not to perform in Israel.

“The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement was launched in 2005 by the largest coalition in Palestinian civil society as a reaction to Israel’s ongoing policies of colonialism, military occupation, and apartheid towards the indigenous Palestinian people, including the denial of 7 million Palestinian refugees their fundamental right to return to their homes, as stipulated in UN resolution 194.”

In addition, it was stated “by declining to perform there, you will be among hundreds of other world-renowned musicians including Roger Waters, Lauryn Hill, Sinead O’Connor, Massive Attack, Lupe Fiasco, The Killers, Moddi, Tindersticks, Leftfield, Faithless, Meshell Ndegeocello, Gorillaz Sound System, Marcus Strickland, Elvis Costello, Boots Riley, Terence Blanchard, Brian Eno, Thurston Moore, Carlos Santana, Yasiin Bey, Devandra Banhart, Stanley Jordan and Snoop Dogg – just to mention a few, who have cancelled their Israeli performances or refused, to begin with, to lend their good names to whitewash Israeli crimes and human rights violations.”

The open public letters are not the same as the private emails that these artists are receiving: “already 4 participants have said to me that they are fearful for their lives.” said Levinsky, who after the Paris terrorist attacks, is now having to answer questions about venue security and what the boycotts demands are.” They have a right to be afraid as the private correspondence they are receiving is very different from the public ones. They are receiving real threats not to perform in Israel.”

Below is a text correspondence between the promoter and a participant of the festival.

Translated from Hebrew, original here- http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4726436,00.html

 

Waters functioning as a “bull horn” for spreading untruths and misinformation only fan the flame rather than seek to use the power of music and culture to unite.